International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Shares Acquired by Bleakley Financial Group LLC

Key Points

• Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its IBM stake by 8.2% in the fourth quarter, adding 3,540 shares to bring its total to 46,464 shares valued at about $13.8 million.
• IBM reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting $1.91 EPS on $15.92 billion in revenue, both ahead of analyst estimates, while revenue rose 9.5% year over year.
• The company raised its dividend slightly to $1.69 per share quarterly, or $6.76 annualized, for a yield of about 2.7%, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target of $294.41.

Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its position in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,464 shares of the technology company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,540 shares during the quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $13,763,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Family CFO Inc acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. SWAN Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the third quarter worth $28,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 1,666.7% during the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 106 shares of the technology company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Business Machines News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IBM is being linked to a major U.S. government quantum-computing funding push, which has lifted sentiment across the sector and reinforced the view that IBM could be a key long-term beneficiary of federal investment in the technology. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Articles about Trump’s $2 billion quantum push and a $1 billion investment tied to an IBM-backed quantum foundry have strengthened the “IBM as a quantum leader” narrative, which may support the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s India executive said the country’s AI ambitions depend on workforce re-skilling and policy support, keeping IBM in the conversation as a major enterprise AI and consulting player in a large growth market. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer said IBM “should be doing better,” echoing a view that the company’s fundamentals and strategic positioning may be stronger than its recent share performance has implied. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: IBM is also winding down its Russia business, which is a sign of continued geopolitical disruption and may modestly weigh on revenue expectations, though the financial impact appears limited. Article Title

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.0%

International Business Machines stock opened at $253.88 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $238.62 billion, a PE ratio of 22.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $238.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $271.88. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52 week low of $212.34 and a 52 week high of $324.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $15.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.60 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 37.23% and a net margin of 15.61%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.60 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $1.69 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $6.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.68. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.77%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michael Miebach acquired 434 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $233.33 per share, for a total transaction of $101,265.22. Following the transaction, the director owned 434 shares in the company, valued at $101,265.22. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on IBM. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Thursday. Citigroup began coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Friday, April 10th. They set a "buy" rating and a $285.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded International Business Machines from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on International Business Machines from $215.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $290.00 price target on International Business Machines in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $294.41.

International Business Machines Profile

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.

IBM's principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.